


Ambush of Love

by eiramrelyat



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2020-10-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:09:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27270973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eiramrelyat/pseuds/eiramrelyat
Summary: Katniss finally adjusted to the life of being a single parent. When the idea of being in a relationship with a certain curly-headed blonde arises, she grows hesitant to the change that it might bring into her and her daughter's life. [Created for SoE Autumn 2020 on Tumblr]
Relationships: Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark
Comments: 19
Kudos: 89
Collections: Seasons of Everlark— Fall 2020, SoE: Autumn 2020





	Ambush of Love

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this for Autumn 2020 Seasons of Everlark on Tumblr. 
> 
> Thank you again Jroseley for being an amazing proofreader:) I'd also like to thank MegaAuLover for the prompt!
> 
> I hope you are all doing well out there, wherever you are in the world. Sending lots of hugs and enjoy this short and sweet story!

"Katniss! I'm here," she heard Peeta call from the entryway.

"In the kitchen!"

Ivy banged on the top of her highchair, another tantrum brewing from spilling her Cheerios onto the floor. Katniss sighed and bent down to pick them up, feeling rather exhausted from three long nights with a sick toddler. Thankfully, Peeta offered to help her out on his day off, even though she opposed the idea at first.

She felt terrible that he rearranged all of his plans for the day, but she swore she'd make it up to him somehow. She could always give him Madge's number from work; he seemed to like her when Katniss invited him to her company's Christmas party last year...

Moments later, he popped his blonde curly head into the kitchen, the deliciously savory aroma of cheese buns from the bakery following him. He stopped to place a kiss on Ivy's forehead. "Hey, I brought lunch." Katniss couldn't stop the smile that pulled on her mouth. She also didn't miss how Ivy's screams quieted to mere babbling. As though the sight of Peeta turned her mood around too.

What did she ever do to deserve a best friend like Peeta?

"Thank you," she breathed, dumping the cereal from the floor into the trash.

He placed the white box on the counter. "How's she feeling?"

"Better, I think. She's had quite the grumpy temper, though."

He laughed. "Sounds like she takes after her mother." She attempted a scowl until the sound of Ivy laughing with Peeta made it difficult. Peeta moved over toward the sink and began cleaning the dishes left there from the night before.

"I'm sorry about the mess. I didn't have time to clean after work."

He shrugged, giving her one of his crooked smiles. "Don't worry about it. Plus, I get to hang out with my two favorite girls today." A part of her knew he only said it to be nice. Still, her heart fluttered in her chest, and she hid her blush by turning to clean off Ivy's highchair. "Hey, I can clean her up if you want to go take a shower."

Katniss protested, but Peeta stuck a cheese bun in her hand and shooed her out of the kitchen. She stopped to give a now babbling Ivy a kiss on the top of her head, feeling a bit relieved to have a moment's peace to herself. Even if it's merely changing from her dirty pajamas to some clean clothes.

She loved being Ivy's mother and wouldn't change it for the world. Yet, between the regular errands that came with being an adult and single parenting, she hardly had a few good minutes to herself. As a matter of fact, she couldn't remember the last time she dressed up and went somewhere decent, aside from the occasional company function.

She had dated no one since before Ivy was born. Just the single one-night-stand that shook her world in more ways than one. Unfortunately, the guy had zero interest in the pregnancy, and she never talked to him again after relaying the news.

Turning on the water, she stepped inside the shower. Her tired muscles eased under the warm stream of water, tension from so many missed hours of sleep lifting from her shoulders. She stood there for who knows how long before grabbing the soap bar off of the shelf.

After her shower, she's surprised by how quiet her house was. Not even the sound of Ivy screaming or the clattering of toys echoed throughout the halls. She stepped into the living room, finding Peeta watching a movie on the couch with the baby monitor sitting on the coffee table in front of him.

For a moment, she's transported to a time when they were teenagers watching terrible movies in his parent's living room. Their laughs annoying his killjoy of a mother. How Katniss once imagined that she would create a family with her best friend someday... With that thought, she coughed, making her presence in the room known.

Peeta glanced over, offering her a smile as she came to sit on the couch beside him. "I will never understand how she falls asleep so fast for you and not for me," she said.

He shrugged. "I'm just good with kids, I guess."

She scooted closer toward the inviting warmth rolling off of him, and Peeta moved his arm to the back of the couch. "Maybe you should have been a nanny instead of a baker."

His mouth quirked. "Or maybe I could do both."

"Mmm." Her eyes slowly drooped at the feel of him rubbing soothing circles into her scalp. She didn't mean to, but she leaned tiredly into his side and fell asleep.

When she woke up, she had been sleeping so soundly that, for a moment, she couldn't remember where she was. Katniss moved to stretch her legs but stopped when she felt a weight on top of them.

She pried one reluctant eye open far enough to see Ivy still fast asleep on the monitor. Then there's the dawning realization that she was currently pressed up against Peeta. Their legs were intertwined, and he had one arm wrapped securely around her waist. In fact, it was becoming embarrassingly obvious how close they were when she felt something hard against her thigh.

With sudden urgency, she untangled herself from Peeta, making him wake up and look around in alarm. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I... uh," she stammered, face flaming, then she noticed movement on the baby monitor. "Ivy's awake. I should probably check on her." And she scurried out of the room.

* * *

Katniss gave Peeta Madge's number before he left that day and nervously urged him out the front door while she made a lame excuse about needing to wake up early. She didn't even stop to consider that the next day was Saturday. He gave her a funny look, kissed the top of her and Ivy's head, and told her he'd see them for their movie date next weekend.

The following week, she anticipated Madge to come up to her and boast about her memorable date. But she didn't. Katniss even asked Madge about her weekend, and none of the things she told her involved going to the movies or going out to dinner. Maybe Madge felt awkward talking about Peeta with her?

"So, no hot dates, or anything?" she urged, not paying attention as she over-poured creamer onto the breakroom counter. "Shoot!"

Madge raised a brow, then reached for some paper towels to help wipe up the mess. "No... Katniss, are you feeling okay?"

No, she wasn't. All she could think about lately was that moment on the couch between her and Peeta. A moment he knew nothing of, but she couldn't stop freaking out about it. "Well, I... I might have given Peeta your number. And I thought maybe you two went out this weekend." She watched as Madge's eyes widened.

"Why? Aren't you two dating?"

"Oh! No... We're really good friends... But we... we don't like each other like that." Katniss was blabbering, her brain stuck on the notion of her and Peeta dating.

"Mmm." The look Madge gave her seemed unconvinced. "That's why you invited him to the Christmas party last year?"

How did Katniss become the one being interrogated? She pushed her glasses up her nose in frustration. "They required you to have a date!"

Madge pursed her mouth in amusement. "I heard Cato had the hots for you."

"Yeah, well, that guy's a tool. I would never date him, even if I became desperate."

"Fair, but it doesn't explain why Peeta's always at your house."

She flushed, feeling stuck on an explanation. "He... well, he..."

Madge shook her head, smirking knowingly. "Sounds like Peeta likes you more than you think."

With that, she left Katniss to stew on her words.

After her conversation with Madge, her avoidance of Peeta continued for a week, rescheduling their movie date for another weekend. She doesn't dodge his phone calls, though. Knowing Peeta, he'd grow suspicious and show up on her doorstep before she had a chance to think about everything. But it helped when Prim invited her and Ivy over for a play date that weekend. It made her excuse for being busy more believable.

They sat in Prim's sunroom. Ivy and Stormy slept on the playmat on the floor, while she and Prim quietly read their books on the sun covered sofa. It reminded Katniss of when they would do homework together as kids- minus the two toddlers.

But Katniss continued to read the same line over, her mind elsewhere. Prim picked up on this, glancing up from the book in her lap.

"Is there something you want to talk about?" she asked softly.

Katniss bit the inside of her cheek, thinking about how to word her question. "What do you think of Peeta?"

Prim closed her book and sat up. "Are you asking me what I think of the guy that we grew up with? The one that babysat me for a year?" she asked, but she doesn't give Katniss enough time to answer. "That's a silly question. He might as well be the brother I never had. Why? Are you two finally dating?"

Leave it to Prim to cut right to the point. "Well, no, but I've been thinking... Should we be?"

"What do you want to do?"

She sighed, not sure of the answer. "I care for Peeta, I do. But I don't want him to date me because he feels bad for me. I've perfectly managed to be a single parent for a year. I just... I want him to date me because he cares for me. Not as some charity case that he decided to take on. I don’t need someone to take care of us."

"Katniss, I know I can't relate to what you're feeling but believe me when I say Peeta likes you. More than you know. Why would he spend all of his extra time with you if he thought otherwise?" Her sister paused, her mouth tilting up at the corners. "I wouldn’t doubt that an eligible bachelor like Peeta already has a fair share of requests. Don’t women fawn over men that know their way around the kitchen?"

Katniss rolled her eyes.

They heard Rory coming through the side door, making their conversation no longer private. "Prim, I'm home!"

She offered Prim a faint smile, reaching for her hand across the cushion. "Thank you, Prim. How did you become a better listener? I thought the older sibling had that gift."

Prim giggled. "Or maybe you just really needed someone to listen."

* * *

Peeta came over for their movie date two weeks later. She almost worked herself into a panic over what she's going to tell him that at the sound of his key unlocking the front door, she was startled and jumped up from the couch.

When he walked into the living room, he was too busy talking about how busy the store was to notice her still awkwardly standing in the middle of the room "... I stopped at the store for some princess movies, but I can't promise that I'll stay awake to these."

She exhaled, nervously adjusting her glasses on her face. "Thank you."

Then he finally saw they were the only two there."Where's Ivy?"

"She's at my mom's tonight."

He gave her a curious grin, brows furrowed."Okay... Do you want to tell me what's going on?"

It was now or never.

"I, uh, do you want to go on a date? With- with me."

"Now?" he asked incredulously. Katniss bobbed her head, heart racing. "You realize that I'm in sweats and an old university sweatshirt?"

Licking her lips, she stepped toward him."A stay in date?" Her voice was hopeful, still expecting him to say no.

He ran a hand through his hair. "I... You deserve more than old movies and leftover takeout!"

She shrugged, taking another step until she stood in front of him."Our first date doesn't need to be anything elaborate."

Peeta looked down at her, silently debating something. She bit her lip, the words "just kidding" ready to spring off her tongue to save her from utter humiliation. "How about I take you somewhere nice tomorrow?" he finally said, and she raised her brows.

"So that's a yes?"

He nodded, his mouth breaking into a wide grin. Then he reached up to push a stray piece of hair out of her face. "And tonight... I'll try to keep my hands to myself."

"You don't have to," she whispered before grabbing the front of his sweater and kissing him the way she wanted to years ago.

* * *

Katniss smiled from her spot on the front porch, as their kids attempted to help Peeta rake up the leaves. Leo, their youngest, having fun with two leaves he picked up off the ground, his little squeals resounding throughout their yard.

"Daddy! Look!"

Ivy had made a small pile of leaves, and Katniss giggled when she stole some from Peeta's to make hers bigger. It still made Katniss's heart flutter when Ivy called Peeta dad. At first, it made her emotional, especially since it was the first word to slip out of her mouth. Peeta thought this had upset her, reassuring her that "dada" was easier for babies to learn. When she asked how he knew this, he shrugged and said that he read the maternity book she left on the coffee table while she napped.

Peeta crouched beside Ivy, placing a kiss on one of her rosy cheeks. "Wow, sweetheart, you're doing such a good job! Why don't we make an even bigger pile to play in?" Ivy's face lit up, and she nodded eagerly, her dark little pigtails bobbing under her cap.

Katniss stood up to help, only receiving minor complaints from Peeta about the baby. She poked his side. "I'm pregnant, not fragile. Plus, I can't allow you three to have all the fun."

He chuckled, kissing her hairline. "My lovely wife, you are the strongest woman I know." That was another thing she didn't tire of hearing. Being called his wife.

"And don't you forget it," she leaned up, brushing her lips against his jaw, "my husband."

Behind them, she heard giggling, and she peeked behind her shoulder to find the ball from Ivy's cap sticking out of Peeta's pile of leaves. Her mouth quirked, and Peeta joined in on their daughter's little game.

"Leo, where did your sister go?"

The little toddler released an excited squeal and started crawling toward Ivy. Katniss lifted him up just in time before an explosion of red and orange littered their yard again, their giggling four-year-old revealing her hiding spot.

"Daddy, I'm here!"

Peeta scooped up Ivy, all four of them laughing. Katniss couldn't be happier with leaves sticking out of their hair and clothes. And as she looked over at Peeta, she knew he was thinking the same thing.


End file.
